LGBT rights in Guyana

LGBT rights in Guyana
LGBT rights in Guyana
	Guyana
Status	Illegal
Penalty	Up to life imprisonment (not enforced; decriminalisation proposed)
Gender identity	No
Military	No
Discrimination protections	None
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	No recognition of same-sex relationships
Adoption	Unclear

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Guyana face legal and societal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Guyana is the only country in South America, and the only mainland country in the Americas, where homosexual acts, including anal sex and oral sex, are illegal. Cross-dressing was illegal until November 2018, when the statute was struck down by the Caribbean Court of Justice, the court of last resort of Guyana.

Efforts to decriminalise homosexual behaviour have gained momentum from legal developments in neighbouring countries with a common legal heritage as former British colonies. In August 2016 the Belize Supreme Court, and in April 2018, the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago, each ruled that laws criminalising homosexuality in their respective jurisdictions were unconstitutional. These landmark rulings have been noted as potential legal precedents to strengthen the case for repeal of Guyana's corresponding laws, with all three countries having related jurisprudence.^[1]^[2]

Guyanese society tends to view homosexuality and transgender people negatively, though attitudes are slowly changing and becoming more accepting. The country's first pride parade took place in June 2018 with the support of various political and religious leaders, making it the first such event in the English-speaking Caribbean. It has inspired other countries to hold their own pride parades such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia. The country's second pride parade took place in June 2019.^[3] Subsequent events in 2020, and 2021 had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Guyana's LGBT community held its largest event in the capital Georgetown in June 2022, with another planned in 2023.^[4]^[5]

^ James, Westmin R. A. (2018). "In search of progress: The implications of Caleb Orozco v. AG of Belize for the Commonwealth Caribbean". International Journal of Human Rights. 22 (5): 640–663. doi:10.1080/13642987.2017.1408590. S2CID 149124492.
^ Staples, Louis. "What Trinidad and Tobago's historic gay sex ruling means for LGBT+ rights worldwide". Indy100. The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018.
^ Chabrol, Denis (3 June 2018). "Virtually incident-free gay pride parade held in Guyana to demand election promises". Demerara Waves. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
^ PACKED ‘PRIDE FESTIVAL’ RETURNS IN JUNE, retrieved 12 April 2023
^ WITH GYRATION, HIGH ENEGY AND RENEWED CALLS FOR EQUALITY - PRIDE PARADE 2022 RETURNS, retrieved 12 April 2023

[1] James, Westmin R. A. (2018). "In search of progress: The implications of Caleb Orozco v. AG of Belize for the Commonwealth Caribbean". International Journal of Human Rights. 22 (5): 640–663. doi:10.1080/13642987.2017.1408590. S2CID 149124492.

[2] Staples, Louis. "What Trinidad and Tobago's historic gay sex ruling means for LGBT+ rights worldwide". Indy100. The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018.

[3] Chabrol, Denis (3 June 2018). "Virtually incident-free gay pride parade held in Guyana to demand election promises". Demerara Waves. Retrieved 30 June 2018.

[4] PACKED ‘PRIDE FESTIVAL’ RETURNS IN JUNE, retrieved 12 April 2023

[5] WITH GYRATION, HIGH ENEGY AND RENEWED CALLS FOR EQUALITY - PRIDE PARADE 2022 RETURNS, retrieved 12 April 2023

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